Happy Friendship Day (which is this Sunday, August 5th)! Where would we be without our friends? I know that I, for one, would be lost without them. My friends mean the world to me, and I try to make sure that they know! In this day of social networks, texting and emails, a handwritten letter can be a light on a dark day.

Sometimes life can take over and a cherished friendship falls to the wayside. So how do you get back in touch? Personally, I send them a postcard. I love art postcards, and every museum I have ever been to, I always pick up a handful of postcards. I find one that speaks to me and I fill it out – telling them that I miss them, and hope they contact me back. A postcard is small enough so it doesn’t get awkward trying to think of things to write about, but long enough to get your point across – that you miss them and want them to know it.

Showing your current friends how you appreciate them can be an exercise in creativity! You can send them a homemade card – take a blank folded note card and draw, paint or make a collage on the outside, fill out the inside, and send it off.

Or you can do something really different and send them a book letter. My best friend, J, lives in New York City. We have known each other for over a decade, and we always write letters to each other. For Christmas last year, I decided to send her a book letter instead of just a letter. We were at a gallery earlier that year and she remarked how she loved this one particular blank notebook, so while she was perusing one section of the gift store, I bought the notebook.

My friend is an artist – a phenomenal painter and I have a lot of her work in my house. And I am a writer. So I thought about doing something a little different: I was going to write her a poem and in this notebook, I was going to document HOW I was writing it. And then the last page of the book would be the finished product, the poem itself. It was something different; something she could keep that would be personal and just for her.

Sending a note to an old friend is always fun as you have so many ways to get your message across. Create your own collage card, send a quick and personal postcard, or opt to write a traditional letter. Consider sending your friend an inspirational quote, or introducing them to a new poem.

Celebrate your friends this Friendship Day and every day. Let them know you care about them and think about them by sending them a note. I know they will appreciate it!

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Meet the Writer: Akhila Jagdish is a writer and editor in the process of starting her own editorial services company, The Crafted Word. She loves making lists, collecting journals, reading, drinking wine and cooking.